Ice Pops: Sticky, Melty, Wonderful Summer

Bring summer to life whenever you want it with these fruity, easy ice pops.

Her strawberry red-streaked cheeks and pale green dress tell the story of an afternoon treat. It’s been a very sweet day.

I’m sure you can relate: You just washed the dress that she had to wear, only to find it now covered in sticky ice pop residue. Ah, the life of a four-year-old.

You’ve traced the trail of gooey fun from the kitchen, through the house and out onto the back porch. Thankfully, she avoided the stair carpet. You sigh and realize cleaning up this drippy, delicious mess is a small price to pay for the fun these frozen treats bring our little ones all summer long.

So why do kids (and adults alike) love summer-on-a-stick so much? Because ice pops are fun, frozen—and they have the power to send an entire cul-de-sac of sweaty youngsters running for a taste.

Now there’s nothing wrong with getting the pre-packaged ice pops from time to time, but making your own melty treat is absolutely worth the extra effort. And you’re going to taste the difference.

Drippy & DeliciousSee the basic steps below, and then some more advanced options to consider at the end. Then comment with your own summertime ice pop spin!

Step 1: Choose a base and stir in your favorite fillings. If you’re leaning toward using water-based drinks like tea, fruit juice and lemonade, just keep in mind they tend to freeze harder than yogurt, pudding and smoothies. So for a softer ice pop, mix a water-based starter with simple syrup.

Step 2: Pour or spoon your mix into molds. Leave a little room at the top of each mold to allow for expansion during the freezing process.

Tip: Store-bought molds come in a variety of shapes, but wax-coated kitchen cups or clean yogurt containers work just as well.

Step 3: Put your ice pops in the freezer until they get slushy (about one hour). Gently slide wooden craft sticks into their centers. Continue freezing pops for four to six more hours, until frozen through. Now you have homemade ice pops!

Tip: For easy release, run the bottom of the molds under warm water for a couple seconds. Voila.

Fruity Fun. Got fruit that’s about to turn? Cut it up and toss it into your pop molds before freezing. Think kiwi, strawberries, banana or even blueberries. Your pops will look (and taste) delicious.

Protein Packed. If you want more protein from your pops, blend up yogurt, nuts or protein powder in your icy concoction.

Get Striped. Want to go all out? Get striping by layering flavor on top of juicy flavor —ideally different colors — and freezing each for an hour. Then you’ll repeat the process until the molds are full.

Tip: Blend real fruit and ice in a blender or food processor for an all-fruit base with no added sugar.

Nutritious & Delicious. If you’re looking to create the pinnacle of healthy ice pops, try blending sliced apple, kale, avocado and zucchini together with a little lemon juice and zest for a twist.